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Plachie de pește
Baked carp with onion and tomato
Plachie de pește: carp steaks baked on onion, tomato and bay leaves in oil
Lent and the feast of the Annunciation, when Orthodox Romanians may eat fish, are the moments for plachie: thick carp steaks laid on a deep bed of slow-cooked onions, covered with tomato and bay, and baked in plenty of oil until the onions turn sweet and jammy. Recipes travel along the Danube from the Delta to Brăila and Galați, and the dish is just as good warm as it is cold the next day. The flavour is mellow and Mediterranean, with the tomato and onion soaking into the rich, mild carp. Serve it with mămăligă or bread to mop up the oil. The usual slip is skimping on the onion stage; they need a good 15 minutes in the pan first, or they stay crunchy under the fish. Chef's tip: lightly score the carp skin and rub it with salt 20 minutes ahead; it firms the flesh and seasons it all the way through.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 ¼ lb carp steaksabout 3 cm thick, scaled
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
For the vegetables
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 4 onionshalved and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlicsliced
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 4 ripe tomatoessliced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ¾ cup hot water
- 1 lemonsliced
- ½ oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse the 2 ¼ lb carp steaks, pat dry, score the skin twice and rub with half the ¾ tsp salt and the ½ tsp black pepper. Keep in the fridge for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).
1 minStep 3: Heat the ½ cup sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium-low heat and cook the 4 onions for 15 minutes, stirring, until soft, sweet and lightly golden.
15 minStep 4: Stir in the 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp dried thyme and the rest of the ¾ tsp salt for 1 minute, then add the ¾ cup hot water and bubble for 2 minutes.
3 minStep 5: Spread the onions in a baking dish, lay the carp on top and cover with the 4 ripe tomatoes, 1 lemon slices and 4 bay leaves.
3 minStep 6: Bake for 30–35 minutes, basting once, until the tomatoes have collapsed and the carp is opaque right to the bone and flakes easily when pushed with a fork.
35 minStep 7: Rest for 5 minutes, scatter with ½ oz flat-leaf parsley and serve warm, or chill and eat cold the next day.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does plachie de pește take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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